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A Montréal researcher to lead a national research project to cure HIV

MONTREAL, Nov. 28, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The Canadian HIV Cure Enterprise
(CanCURE), a collaboration of leading Canadian HIV/AIDS researchers,
will undertake an innovative research program to find new effective
approaches to cure HIV infection in humans. The project, led by Dr.
Éric A. Cohen in Montréal, received $8.7 million in funding from the
Canadian Initiative for HIV Cure Research, a partnership between the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canadian Foundation
for AIDS Research (CANFAR) and the International AIDS Society (IAS).
The investment was announced this morning at the IRCM by Canada's
Minister of Health, the Honourable Rona Ambrose.

"My team and I are very proud to receive this support from CIHR," says
Dr. Cohen, CanCURE team leader and researcher at the Institut de
recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM). "We are happy to continue this
extraordinary collaboration between Canadian colleagues, and I would
like to congratulate the entire team."

CanCURE ultimately aims to enhance our understanding of how HIV remains
latent despite antiretroviral therapy, develop new research
infrastructure relevant to HIV cure research, and establish therapeutic
strategies that will bring us closer to the discovery of a cure for HIV
infection.

"Current HIV treatments improve the health and prolong the life of
infected patients, but they fail to completely eliminate the virus,"
explains Dr. Cohen, who is also Professor in the Department of
Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology at the Université de
Montréal. "HIV manages to hide in certain cells of the body, which
represents a significant barrier to a cure. The objective of the
CanCURE project is to understand this mechanism in order to eliminate
the cells that harbour the virus in the presence of antiretroviral
therapy and eradicate or control HIV infection."

"The goal of finding a safe and effective cure for HIV is within reach,"
adds Dr. Marc Ouellette, Scientific Director for the CIHR Institute of
Infection and Immunity. "Strategic and collaborative research will
continue to bring us closer to this global goal and we are proud to be
supporting Dr. Cohen's new research program with our partners in the
Canadian Initiative for HIV Cure Research."

The CanCURE project brings together an expert group of 26 basic and
clinical scientists, who span 10 universities and affiliated research
centers and operate in outstanding environments favouring high-quality
research within their respective programs. The nine principal
investigators include Dr. Petronela Ancuta from the CHUM Research
Centre, Dr. Jonathan Angel from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
and the University of Ottawa, Dr. Jérôme Estaquier from the Centre de
recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec, Dr. Keith
Fowke from the University of Manitoba, Dr. Andrew Mouland from the Lady
Davis Institute for Medical Research, Dr. Mario Ostrowski from the
University of Toronto, Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy from McGill University
Health Centre, Dr. Michel J. Tremblay from the Centre de recherche du
Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec and Dr. Éric A. Cohen from
the IRCM.

Refer to the Government of Canada's news release for more details on the
project's funding, announced in time for World AIDS Day on December 1,
2013.

About the IRCM
Founded in 1967, the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (www.ircm.qc.ca) is currently comprised of 36 research units in various fields, namely
immunity and viral infections, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases,
cancer, neurobiology and development, systems biology and medicinal
chemistry. It also houses four specialized research clinics, eight core
facilities and three research platforms with state-of-the-art
equipment. The IRCM employs 425 people and is an independent
institution affiliated with the Université de Montréal. The IRCM Clinic
is associated to the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal
(CHUM). The IRCM also maintains a long-standing association with McGill
University. The IRCM is funded by the Quebec ministry of Higher
Education, Research, Science and Technology.

SOURCE: Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM)

For further information:

For more information and to schedule an interview with Dr. Cohen, please contact: